Device for securing connectors to conductors



May 18, 1965 D. J. CRIMMINS DEVICE FOR SECURING CONNECTORS TO CONDUCTORS Filed Dec. 26, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. D. J. CR l M M l NS ATTORNEY y 1965 D. J CRIMMINS 3,183,584

DEVICE FOR SECURING CONNECTORS TO CONDUCTORS Filed Dec. 26, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN R. D. J. CRIMMI ATTORN EY y 8, 1965 D. J. CRIMMINS 3,183,584

DEVICE FOR SECUR'IQG CONNEQTORS TO CONDUCTORS Filed Dec. 26, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

INVENTOR. D. J. CRIMMINS :2 ATTOR N E Y United States Patent 3,183,584 DEVICE FOR SECURING CONNECTQRS T0 CGNDUCTORS David J. Crimmins, Nntley, NJ., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Thomas & Betts ('30., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 163,962

8 Claims. (Cl. 29203) The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a holder strip with a connector positioned therein prior to the connector being compressed on the conductor.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, partly fragmentary, elevational view of parts of the device embodying the invention,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of holder strip ends connected by the connector inserted therein,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational View similar to FIG. 2 but showing the parts in the further advanced position wherein the slit holders are about to be opened,

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the parts further advanced and the connector shown initially compressed against the anvil bar,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the anvil and compression plate with the connector in a further advanced position wherein it is fully compressed,

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view taken at line 77 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of ends of connector strips which may be secured together, as shown in FIG. 3.

This invention is concerned with the securing of condoctors 10 to connectors 11 in an essentially automatic, rapid and highly efiective, accurate and efficient manner. The connectors 11 are (FIG. 1) initially positioned through the transverse openings 12 in the holders 13, which are preferably formed on a continuous strip 14 and upwardly transversely slitted as at 15. The connectors 11 desired to be used are initially positioned in the holders 13 automatically or manually; said connectors 11 may be furnished assembled in continuous strips 14 in any desired multiple units, for assembly with conductors of the particular type desired to be assembled therewith. The strip 14 is positioned in the assembly station of the device 16 (FIG. 7) said device comprising a base 17 having first and second upstanding fingers 18, 19 on which the protruding ends 20, 21 of the connector 11 are positioned, the parts being so proportioned that the strip 14 will then be disposed in suspended spaced relation to the base 17. Means are provided on the device movable relative to the connector for compressing the connector and conductor in interlocking relation, uniting them essentially homogeneously, and engaging the strip at spaced points straddling the holder, opening the latter and releasing the connector therefrom, exemplified in FIGS. 26 as bracket 22 vertically reciprocated (by any timing and reciprocating means well known in the art) as indicated by the double headed arrow 23 in FIG. 7, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the strip 14. Bracket 22 is preferably provided (FIG. 2) with depending spaced elongated bar portion ends 24, 25 for so engaging the strip 14 at spaced points in straddling relation to the holder 13, thereby, on continued downward movement of the bracket 22 (FIG. 5 opening said holder and releasing the connector 11 therefrom. Moving immediately behind the bar portions 24, 25 of the bracket 22 is compression plate 26 which may be reciprocated in the same plane 23 as the bracket 22 but at a slightly later time interval, as, for example, by securing the bracket 22 and plate 26 together as at 28 (FIG. 7). The anvil 27 may be formed as part of the upstanding finger 18 of the base at the assembly station 16. The anvil 27 and the compression plate 26 preferably have complementary deforming faces non-conforming to the circumference or perimeter of connectors 11 so that, when the plate 26 presses the connector between the plate and the anvil 27 (FIG. 8) the connector and the contained conductor 10 will thus be compressed essentially into unitary, permanent interlocking relation in the cross-section thus defined.

The connectors 21 may be pre-assembled in the continuous strips 14 so that the end user would insert his conductors 10 into the connector manually or automatically and then the assembly of conductor and contained connector advanced (as by any suitable intermittent advance mechanism 29 which will move the strip a given distance and then be elevated therebeyond or stopped and will then move the strip again to repeat the operation) the strip moving a holder to the station 26 during each cycle of operation of the advance mechanism. In FIG. 1 a rotating advance mechanism is shown for engaging the holder 13 during a part of each complete cycle of rotation and then passes clear of the plane of the holder for the remainder of the cycle and then engages the next holder to repeat the operation. Any other means may be used for the purpose, including mechanism engaging the lower portions of the strip instead of the holder, if desired. The strip 14 may be formed with the holders 13 extending upwardly therefrom as above described as essentially one piece preferably of plastic or other flexible material and may be made of any desired or convenient length suitable for winding onto reels, for example, if desired for convenience of storage and use. Ends of finite strips may be secured together by any suitable means, as for example by forming said ends of less than their normal width (the reduced end sections 30, 31, FIG. 3) which interfit to form the width of the strip and holders thereon, and are held in interfitted position by the connectors passed therethrough.

On completion of the compression step (FIG. 6) the bracket 22 and plate 26 move away from the anvil 27 and the connector and conductor therein (previously moved out of the holder on opening of the latter in the FIG. 5 downstroke position of the parts 22 and 26) are carried with the strip on its next advance movement (by means such as 29, FIG. 1) and may be readily separated or lifted by automatic or mechanical means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for securing a connector disposed in the holder of an elongated strip to a conductor placed therein, comprising a base member, an upstanding finger thereon, supporting the connector and the holder strip in spaced relation to the base, means movable relative to and engaging the strip at spaced points straddling the holder, moving the strip downwardly toward the base and releasing the connector therefrom, and means movable against the 3 connector, compressing the connector on the conductor therein simultaneously with said releasing.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said means in said device so movable relative to said strip and so engaging said strip at spacedpoints straddling the holder comprising .a plate vertically reciprocated relative to the lon-v gitudinal axis of said strip, said plate having depending spaced elongated bar portions so engaging said strip.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1, a second upstanding finger on said base member, parallel to and spaced fromthe first mentioned finger, said connector having a second end extending through the holder and positioned on the second upstanding finger of the base member.

4. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said means movable against the connector comprising a plate having a portion of an outline non-conforming to that of the connector so movable against the connector to so compress the latter.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 1, an anvil bar in said device, and means for compressing the connector against the anvil bar to thereby compress the conductor therein.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 5, said means for compressing the connector and means movable against the connector comprising a plate having a portion of an outline non-conforming to that of the connector so movable against the'conncctor to so compress the latter.

7. A device for compressing a connector on a conductor comprising an elongated flexible strip having holders upwardly extending therefrom and transversely slitted to receive conductor-holding connectors therein, a base member, means for suspending the strip and holders relative to said base member, means for moving said so suspended strip relative to said base member to a station of said device, and means at said station movable relative to the base and pressing the strip in straddling relation to the holder to free the connector therefrom and simultaneously to compress the connector onto said conductor.

8. In a device as set forth in claim 7, means at said station of the device compressing the connector and conductor therein.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,789 2/58 Henning 198-131 2,934,128 4/60 Pellier 153-1 MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Primary Examiner.

,WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR SECURING A CONNECTOR DISPOSED IN THE HOLDER OF AN ELONGATED STRIP TO A CONDUCTOR PLACED THEREIN, COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, AN UPSTANDING FINGER THEREON, SUPPORTING THE CONNECTOR AND THE HOLDER STRIP IN SPACED RELATION TO THE BASE, MEANS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO AND ENGAGING THE STRIP AT SPACED POINTS STRADDLING THE HOLDER, MOVING THE STRIP DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE BASE AND RELEASING THE CONNECTOR THEREFROM, AND MEANS MOVABLE AGAINST THE CONNECTOR, COMPRESSING THE CONNECTOR ON THE CONDUCTOR THEREIN SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAID RELEASING. 